While we go for regular physical health check-ups, even if otherwise ok, we seldom do mental health checkup! Authors cum practitioners like Alain De Botton, Dan Arley, Adam Grant, Jordan B Petterson and Browen Berne, do share some insights which can often be collated as barometer for self-checking the state of ones’ mental health. I wander what would a self-check mental health barometer looks like!
Shy of asking Chatgpt or google, here is my list:
1 Are you able to consciously edit various thoughts emerging in your mind, to select the empowering ones and discard the debilitating ones? It does not entertain thoughts that reminds us of our unworthiness or fuel the feelings of regret, remorse, resent or conceit.
2 Are you able to retain the general trust in goodness of humanity and reconcile with selfish acts at the individual level?
3 Can you resist the temptation of comparisons to others, either to feel good or bad?
4 Recognize the unreasonableness of cheerfulness as the only desirable end-state state, and any other as sub-optimal? “Worldy” people are likely to be less happy than they seem.
Albrecht Durer (1493)
5 Realise that every explanation that looks plausible may not be real, and that randomness could as well be the real reason? Not every unsuccessful man is so, because of laziness or stupidity.
6 Able to compartmentalize thoughts and emotions and maintain sense of proportionality of response to the situation.
7 Able to recognize fear as state of being and mange it through recognition and additional dose of curiosity.
8 In quest of seeking more, not to undermine what is already there. Recognize that Every situation has the possibility of being worst! Can you express gratitude to crashed pillow that ensures good night sleep.
9 Once in a while you remind oneself of transience nature of being, and its insignificant presence at cosmic level.
10 Are you comfortable with laying boundaries in relationships and can utter warm sounding but definitiveno, without affecting prevailing level of affection
11 Appreciate the role of genes, parenting, and early childhood experiences in shaping us, but not hold to these convenient factors to defend your learnt helplessness or laziness.
How much you score and what is the ranking criteria- I cant say- but may be there is some realization where to focus to strengthen our mind!
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